The Facts

• The estimated number of people with mild learning disabilities in the UK is 580,000 – 1,750,000. It is estimated that 250,000 – 350,000 people have severe learning disabilities.
• Approximately 1 in 200 people have an autistic spectrum disorder.
• 25–40% of people with learning disabilities also have mental health problems
• In 2004/05, £2.85bn of PSS expenditure was on Adults with Learning disabilities
• People with learning disabilities have a high level of un–recognised illness and often have reduced access to genetic preventative screening and health promotion procedures.

What is it?

A learning disability is a lifelong condition, acquired before, during or soon after birth, that affects an individual´s ability to learn. The causes of many learning disabilities are not known, but the most common example is Down´s Syndrome.

People with a learning disability find it harder to learn and understand than other people. As a result, some may need help with everyday practical skills like getting dressed or cooking. Others with more severe learning disabilities (sometimes coupled with physical disabilities) may require full-time care.

Our Objective

Valuing, empowering, enabling and supporting people with learning difficulties to help them live their lives as fully and independently as possible.

How can we help?

The UK government has issued a white paper called ‘valuing people: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century in 2001’. This is designed to improve support for people with learning disabilities and their families. As a consequence of this need to focus more clearly on thus area of need many social services departments in the UK are looking at delivering their services to people with learning disabilities via commissioned external service providers.

The majority of these commissioned services are for the provision of housing support services i.e. the provision and delivery of care within the community and in the service users own home.

The services that we are able to provide to those people with learning disabilities (and their families) include:

• Detailed assessment of potential new service users to identify their needs, quantify associated risks and development of a detailed care plan
• Service provision into the service users present home in the community. Alternatively, support may be required to help provide an appropriate accommodation for care delivery
• Delivering care in which the service user is encouraged to care for themselves and their home and therefore providing as much independence and self-responsibility as is possible.

– We are only a phone call away. Use our Branch Finder to find out your nearest Medico office.

Further Information:

www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
www.bild.org.uk – British Institute of Learning Disabilities
www.mencap.co.uk
www.dh.gov.uk – Department of Health